10 Big Mistakes Vets Make Applying to Fed Jobs

Featured Author:

Kathryn Troutman

Kathryn Troutman, Author and president of The Resume Place, Inc. and the Certified Federal Resume Writers Team. Kathryn is also the author of the best-selling, award-winning, Ten Steps to a Federal Job, 2nd Edition, which will help you put your very best foot forward in your federal job search (eBook available now and Print edition available 1/20/09).

Leaving a military career after five, 10, or 20 years is traumatic. Whether you’re enlisted or an officer, the career transition out of military is difficult. The good news is that the federal government is basically just “the other side of the desk.” You’re going to take the “hands-on” skills and technical training from your military experience and convert it over to the policy, program, support, administration side of the work you have been doing – maybe. The first federal resume after military is your most important resume and the most complex because you will translate your skills for a new career, new mission and customer.

Veterans are perfect for federal civil service positions because of their dedication to public service, the nation’s security, specialized expertise, knowledge of certain missions, technical skills and training, leadership, dedication, work ethic, attitude and willingness to learn and start-over. What’s more, these skills allow you to add 5 or 10 points preference points to your application score.

However, sometimes veterans rush through the fed application and make several mistakes. This article is a compilation of the top 10 mistakes veterans and transitioning service members make when applying for public-sector jobs.